You Never Said GoodBye
by Boyue
Summary: Lee never says good-bye because it is the saddest and hardest thing to say in the world. -GaaLee/Oneshot-


**Naruto and its characters © Masashi Kishimoto**

**GaaLee. One-shot.**

**This is not a happy story.**

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**YOU NEVER SAID GOOD-BYE**

Gaara pulled his car up to the sidewalk and parked behind a white SUV with a "My Child is an Honor Student" bumper sticker and a stick family decal on the back window. He turned off the engine and looked out the window to check the traffic before he stepped out of the car. He waited by the side of the car as a red sport car speeded down the street and ran the light. When the road was clear, Gaara walked across the street with his hands tucked in his coat pockets. November temperature was relentless to a man who grew up in the hot desert climate. He exhaled through his mouth, and his breath hung in the cold air for a few seconds. He licked his dry, chapped lips. He never kept a lip balm around him. He didn't see the point having one handy as his lips would end up bleeding no matter what. A lip balm stick would be an unnecessary thing he had to carry. It wasn't as if he wasn't carrying enough things already.

He made his way down the street. His destination was one block away but he couldn't find a closer parking spot. The streets were loaded with cars because it was a holiday. It was a time when you were supposed to give thanks to the people you cherished. People rushed from all corners of the world just to be together with their loved ones for one day, to remember how lucky they were. It was an event that Gaara didn't want to take part in, even though his older siblings had invited him over for a festive meal. He hadn't seen them for, what, half a year now. It wasn't that he didn't like his older sister---so loving and supportive--or his older brother---what a great a role model. There was something pretentious about the day of thanksgiving. He couldn't tell you what exactly it was that bothered him, only that the thought of it made him nauseous.

He spotted the phone booth by the mailbox. It was unoccupied, just as he had hoped. Not many people utilized pay phones anymore since cellular phones were a necessity of modern life. He pushed open the plexiglass door and stepped into the booth. The yellow phone book had frayed and torn pages. Gaara dropped a coin through the slot and dialed a number. He studied the graffiti scratched into the metal case that protected the phone. The numbers on the key pad were faded, not that he needed to see the printed number to know which was the correct button to press. He had worked a phone many times before.

A young couple was heading toward his way. They shared a laugh at something the man said as they passed the phone booth without giving Gaara a glance. Then the street was quiet again, and the line was still ringing. He slouched against the side window and waited patiently for the line to connect. He was in no hurry to get to his sister's house for dinner, or anywhere for that matter. He could stay in the phone booth as long as it was needed for his call to be completed. Even if it was a little claustrophobic in the glass booth and smelled strongly like urine. It also wasn't any good at stopping the cold air from invading. If anything, the glass made it colder in the booth than outside the booth. Gaara pushed open the door for a breath of fresh air. He could hear, somewhere in the distance, a phone ringing in an apartment building. He let the door close and leaned against the glass cell again. A stray cat stumbled out from a bush. It scanned its surrounding with its tail curled up. It walked past the booth and glanced at Gaara. It kept its green eyes on the human, observing and waiting for him to make a move. But Gaara only stood still and glared uninterestedly at the feline. The cat swapped its tail and hurried away, going nowhere in particular. The line connected on the seventh ring, seconds after the cat departed. Gaara stood up straight and listened.

"Hello, you have reached Rock Lee. I am unable to answer your call. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a wonderful day!"

He couldn't tell you how many times Lee had practiced his outgoing message before he finally got it down perfect and recorded it with a cheery grin on his face. His intonation sounded right on every word. His tone was polite but casual, suitable to greet both strangers and friends. The pitch was strongest when he said his name, showing his pride in himself without sounding conceited. It was a generic message, but it filled its listeners with warmth that was reminiscent of Lee's personality. The answering machine beeped and the tape started rolling. Gaara didn't speak. He breathed quietly into the phone receiver.

Just what was he supposed to say? That he wanted to wish Lee a happy birthday? That he wished he could be there to celebrate with him? That he missed him? That he wished they could talk like they used to? There was no point. It was too late to say anything, and Lee wasn't going to get back to him as soon as possible like he had promised.

A homeless old man approached the phone booth and gave Gaara a hard look. Yeah, there was nothing he could say, so Gaara hung up. He fished out his change from the chute and stepped out of the booth. The homeless man was standing a few feet away, eying the coins in Gaara's hand. They were enough to maybe buy a stick of gum. He handed it over to the bum and hid his hands in his coat pockets. He stood on the edge of the sidewalk and looked left and right before he hurried over to his car. The white SUV was still parked in front of him.

As he drove across town to get to his sister's house, Gaara remembered how Lee never said good-bye. Lee would say "Take care!" or "See you soon!" whenever he had to part from someone. He said "good-bye" was the saddest and hardest word to say. "Good-bye" meant they weren't going to see each other for a long time but Lee knew that they would see each other soon. Gaara found some truth in it but he still took it hard when Lee left without saying good-bye.

When he pulled up to the driveway, Gaara decided that it was time to delete all the daily silent messages he had left on Lee's answering machine and finally unplug it from the wall. After all, Lee had been gone for two months now, and it was crazy to leave messages for a dead person.

He just wanted to hear Lee's voice one more time before he had to say good-bye.

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**Boyue's Note: OMG TEH ANGST! GAH! I needed a break from writing Catalyst and Stigma... Dx**

**11.28.08**

**10:06 PM**


End file.
